Matthew 23:18
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Original Language Analysis
καί,
And
G2532
καί,
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
1 of 20
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὃς
Whosoever
G3739
ὃς
Whosoever
Strong's:
G3739
Word #:
2 of 20
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
ἐὰν
G1437
ἐὰν
Strong's:
G1437
Word #:
3 of 20
a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θυσιαστηρίῳ
the altar
G2379
θυσιαστηρίῳ
the altar
Strong's:
G2379
Word #:
7 of 20
a place of sacrifice, i.e., an altar (special or genitive case, literal or figurative)
οὐδέν
nothing
G3762
οὐδέν
nothing
Strong's:
G3762
Word #:
8 of 20
not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e., none, nobody, nothing
ὃς
Whosoever
G3739
ὃς
Whosoever
Strong's:
G3739
Word #:
10 of 20
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
15 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
17 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἐπάνω
that is upon
G1883
ἐπάνω
that is upon
Strong's:
G1883
Word #:
18 of 20
up above, i.e., over or on (of place, amount, rank, etc.)
Historical Context
Ancient oath-taking invoked supernatural witnesses to guarantee truthfulness, with varying degrees of solemnity. Pharisaic tradition created a hierarchy of oaths, some binding and others not, based on arbitrary distinctions. This system appealed to human desire for escape clauses—making promises without real commitment.
Questions for Reflection
- How do modern Christians use religious language to evade straightforward honesty?
- What does Jesus's rejection of oath hierarchies teach about the nature of truth-telling?
- Why does legalism always create loopholes rather than promoting genuine integrity?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty—the phrase ouden estin (οὐδέν ἐστιν, it is nothing) reflects Pharisaic teaching that such oaths were non-binding, while opheilei (ὀφείλει, he owes/is bound) indicates binding obligation. Jesus exposes a legalistic system designed to permit oath-breaking while appearing religious.
The Pharisees considered the gift (dōron, δῶρον, sacrificial offering) more binding than the altar itself—another materialistic inversion. By this reasoning, one could swear by God's altar with mental reservation, planning to break the oath, yet claim technical innocence. This casuistry allowed them to deceive while maintaining religious credibility. Jesus's teaching on oaths was revolutionary: Let your yes be yes, and your no be no (Matthew 5:37)—simple integrity, not legalistic evasion.